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R. C. TAYLOR.

"Railroad Time ludicaton,

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n. o. TAYLOR, or] BnooKPoRT, NEW YORK. Letters Patent No. 61,961, (and Fuhriuzry 12, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD TIME mmonrons.

TO ALL WHOM 31 MAY CONCERN: p

Be it known that I, R. G. TAYLOR, of Bro'ckport, in the county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad' Tillie-Table Indicators;. and I do hereby declare making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is an outside face view of my improved indicator.

Figure 2,21. view of the gearing inside.

Figure 3, a diagram showing the arrangement for operating the escapement-wheels.

Figure 4, asecriou of a portion of one ofthc cam-wheels, showing more particularly the connection of the two parts of which. it composed.

Figure 5, view showing the method of inserting and holding the tablets.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My improvement is intended to indicate the time of departure of trains from a railroad station, and the apparatus is connected with an ordinary clock. The invention consists more especially in the construction and arrangement of the cam-wheels, hereinafter described, whereby, bythe employment of adjustable cams, the changes are readily made to correspond with changes in the time of departure of trains; and also, bythe employment of adjustable centres to the said wheels, the indicator can readily be turned forward or backward, to adapt the same to the various stations on the route without changing the cams.

As represented in the drawings, A is a clock, having the usual clockwork for indicating the hour and minute, and governed either by a pendulum or balance-wheel. With the wheel a of the hour-hand gear wheels 5 b, which serveas intermediate gears to give motion to cam-wheels B B. These wheels are of such size, and have such a number of teeth rclatively'withb and a, that they turn just once to the hour-wheel twice, so that in twentydour hours the cam-wheels receive a single revolutiorn Each cam-wheel is made of two parts, a rim, 0, and centre, (1, fitting accurately together, and held in any position by means of clamping screws, ff, or equiv alent, passing through the rimand holding upon theedge of the centre. By this means the centre may be turned independently in either direction, forward or backward, for a. purpose that willbe presently explained. The rim of the wheel is divided into twentyd'our equal parts, and indexed in two divisions up to twelve to correspond with the twelve hours of day and night, and, if desirable, the subdivisionsof minutes may also be employed. The centre is provided with any desired number of cams, G G, substantially of the form shown in figs. 2 and 3, that is, they have shanks,"g, secured to the surface of the wheel by'screws, IL, passing through longitudinal slots, 2', and rounded heads, is, which form the cams proper. This construction of the cams, and their connection with the wheel, enable them to be adjusted out or in, so as to project more or less, as indicated-by red lines at the right, in fig. 2, or to be set forward or back, as shown by red lines at the left in the same figure. The'cams act upon the rounded ends Z of the lovers D, pivoted at m, and connected at the, opposite end with escapementwheels, E E, in'any desired manner, so as to produce the necessary escapemeut.-- In the drawings, the escapement is represented as produced by a vertical end, n, of the levers, connecting with pins, 0 o, of the wheels, arranged in the zigzag or alternated manner shown, so that, as the said end vibrates by the action of the cams, it alternately releases the pins and allows the wheels to turn The wheelsreceive action from springs, p, and are wound up by a key in the ordinary manner of clock-work, being retained by ratchets and pawls, g. The reaction of the levers D is produced by springs, r. The face of the clock, in addition to being provided with the usual dial, 1, for indicating the passage of time, has other dials, 2 3, for indicating the time of departure of trains. The number ofthese correspond with the number of the cam-wheels employed, and vary with the requirements of the case. In the drawings but two are shown, indicating the time of departure of trains east and west. If there arcseveral difierent routes, the number of dials and'cams must be made to correspond,;so

as to indicate each route. These dials are formed by making sockets, s s, in a circle, and inserting in them small tablets or slips,'t t, on which are marked respectively the time of departure of the trains in succession, thus: 3.20, 4.50,-6.00, ice. The most convenient way to form these sockets is simply to cut slits at suitable distances apart, and then depress the portion between, so as to run the tablets through. By having a great variety of the tablets it will be seen that the changes can be easily made to correspond'with the changes of the 2 arm time of departure of the trains. The escapement- -whcels have bearings or shafts, 'LL, passing up through the dial plate, and on these are fixed pointers, v, which move around the dials 2 3 to indicate the time.

The operation will be readily understood. As the cam-wheels revolve, the cams striking the ends of the levers D will throw. them out, and at the moment of passing will liberate the opposite ends, so as to operate the escapemeut and allow the springs to throw the cscap cment-wheels forward one notch. This willmove the pointers on the dials from one tablet to another. Thus, at the left hand, in fig. 2, the cam is on' the point of allowing the lever to operate, and the next movement of the pointer will be from 3.20 to 4.50. In order to accomplish the result above mentioned perfectly, .of course the cams must be set on the scale of the cam-wheels with reference to the time indicated on the dial plate, that is, the cams must be set at 3.20, 4.50, &c., otherwise they will not operate the escapement at the proper moment. In the drawings this is plainly indicated, the difi'erence of space between the cams showing at. a glance the difl'eronce in time between the trains. The ready adjustment of the cams enables them to be adapted to the difl'ercnee in time with the greatest facility. It will also be noticed that if a train is discontinued, the cam which has indicated it can be setback, as shown by red lines at the right, in fig. 1, so that it will not operate the lever. This arrangement of the cams is very simple, and by their universal adjustment I am enabled to adapt them to the difference in time very readily. In addition to this, the. making of the cam-wheel in two parts, a ti, accomplishes a very important purpose, by enabling me to set the time forward or back to adapt it to any station on the same route. For instance, if the time at a particular station is 3.20, and the time of the train at the next station is 4.50, i can adapt the same clock to the second station by simply turning the centre (Z around in the rim 0 just one hour and thirty minutes, and, since the trains are regular, all the trains will be indicated at the second station without further change.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The employment of a series of adjustable cams O O, with a graduated camqvheel 13, and an escapement lever D, or equivalent, operating substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. Making the wheel 13 in two parts 0 (Z, when eombined'with the cams, in the-manner and for the purpose specified. 3

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.'

R. O. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

R. I". Ose'oon, J. A. Dnvxs. 

